The heterogeneous impact of China-Europe railway express on the efficiency of logistics industry in node cities

Purpose-The spatiotemporal compression effect of China-Europe Railway Express(CR-Express)can reduce the filow costs of resources between China's node cities.Additionally,it can break through the limitations of low-added-value marine products,significantly impacting the logistics industry efficiency.However,there are few literature verifying and analyzing its heterogeneity.This study explores the impact of CR-Express on the efficiency of logistics industry in node cities and analyzes the heterogeneity.Design/methodology/approach-First,this study uses panel data to measure the efficiency of node city logistics industry.Secondiy,this study discusses the impact of the opening of CR-Express on the efficiency of logistics industry in node cities based on the multi-period differential model.Finally,according to the node city difference,the sample city experimental group is grouped for heterogeneity analysis.Findings-The results show that CR-Express can promote the urban logistics industry efficiency,with an average effect of 4.55%.According to the urban characteristics classification,the heterogeneity analysis shows that the efficiency improvement effect of logistics industry in inland cities is more obvious.The improvement effect of node cities and central cities in central and western China is stronger,especially in the sample of megacities and type I big cities.Compared with non-value chain industrial products,the CR-Express has significant promotion effects on the logistics efficiency of the cities where main goods are value chain products.Originality/value-Under the background of double cycle development,this paper can provide a scientific basis for the investment benefit evaluation of CR-Express construction and the follow-up route planning.

A time-space network-based model for transportation service optimization of China Railway Express

This paper describes the development and optimization plans for the China Railway Express(CR Express).As a new type of international land transport organization,CR Express has emerged with the continuous expansion of China toward European investment and trade,and in particular,has expanded with the continuous progress of the One Belt and One Road(OBOR)initiative.In addition to improving the service quality of CR Express,the operating costs must be reduced for developing“smart railways”that serve“smart cities”.We propose a dualobjective-based function mathematical optimization model;the satisfaction of the cargo owner is considered,and the timeliness,transportation capacity,and goods category constraints of CR Express transportation are designed.Moreover,we present the normalized equivalent method of the two-objective function of the model.Finally,a case study is conducted against the background of certain trains in the western corridor of CR Express to validate the effectiveness of the model and research methods proposed in this study.

Comprehensive Landscape Planning of Express Railway: A Case Study of Shanghai-Nanjing Section of Beijing–Shanghai Express Railway

Comprehensive landscape planning of express railway is a signifi cant part of railway planning, and landscape contributes greatly to the integration of railway into neighboring environment. This paper focused on the scientific comprehensive landscape planning of express railway, applied "layer, group and cluster" analysis, concluded the landscape features of different hierarchical systems of "layer—group—cluster" by analyzing landscapes along the Shanghai–Nanjing Section of Beijing–Shanghai Express Railway, proposed the landscape design principles for this section, in order to promote the integration of express railway construction with city and regional development, and provide a new concept and technique for the future railway landscape design.

Theory Analysis of the Handover Challenge in Express Train Access Networks （ETAN）

To handle the handover challenge in Express Train Access Networks(ETAN).mobility fading effects in high speed railway environments should be addressed first.Based on the investigation of fading effects in this paper,we obtain two theoretical bounds:HOTiming upper bound and HO-Margin lower bound,which are helpful guidelines to study the handover challenge today and in the future.Then,we apply them to analyze performance of conventional handover technologies and our proposal in ETAN.This follow-up theory analyses and simulation experiment results demonstrate that the proposed handover solution can minimize handover time up to 4ms(which is the fastest one so far),and reduce HO-Margin to 0.16 dB at a train speed of 350km/h.

Development of Subgrade Technical System for High-speed Railway

There are two phases in the development of China's high-speed railway after the1990s:the research and experiment phase during the Eighth and the Tenth Five-Year Plan periods;the construction and operation phase during the Eleventh and the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan periods.This paper regards the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway as the corner stone in the development of high-speed railway subgrade system,and proposes suggestions and solutions to the problems which may reduce the service life of subgrade.These solutions and methods can be referred to in future railway projects.

An organizational model and border port hinterlands for the China-Europe Railway Express

Facilities connectivity is a priority area for implementing the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI). The "China-Europe Railway Express"(CER Express) mode of transport organization links China with Europe by fast-track cargo rail. A major instance of facilities connectivity related to this project is an important practical and symbolic instance of BRI transport cooperation. The strategic significance of the CER Express and a number of operational issues are outlined, as are the implications of limited market potential for costs and competitiveness. A "hub-and-spoke" organizational model that can generate scale economies and reduce costs is proposed. To examine the establishment of an organizational model of this kind, the economic hinterlands of Alashankou, Erenhot, and Manzhouli are identified under high-, mediumand low-cost scenarios using an analytical methodology that determines distance and economic costs, and a number of transport hubs(that include Harbin, Zhengzhou, and Lanzhou) are identified. The results found that the cost of the routes from 314 Chinese cities to Moscow is the lowest via Manzhouli in the high-and medium-cost scenarios, but the routes change via Erenhot in the low-cost scenario. A number of policy recommendations should follow up.

The influence of China-Europe Railway Express on the production system of enterprises:A case study of TCL Poland Plant

The implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and the increasing frequency of the China-Europe Railway Express(CER Express)have brought new improvement to the production system of enterprises along the Belt and Road regions.On the basis of summarizing the evolution of production system of enterprises,this paper takes TCL Poland Plant as an example to conduct an in-depth study on the characteristics of the plant's current production system and its differences from the original production system,and analyzes the impact of the CER Express on its current production system.Some conclusions can be drawn as follows.(1)CER Express had a great impact on the production system of TCL Poland Plant,which is mainly manifested in the following aspects.First,the transport of raw materials by CER Express improves the time efficiency and shortens the whole supply chain.Second,CER Express acts as a"moving inventory",which realizes the flexibility of raw material inventory and"zero inventory"effect based on the punctual transport.Third,the time and inventory effects brought by CER Express speed up the response to European market.The comprehensive benefits brought by CER Express lead to a more punctual and lean production system,meet the diversified needs of consumers on account of product quality and diversification,and improve ability to expand European market.(2)On the basis of abandoning the original"Rigid Mass Production"system,we argue that TCL Poland Plant formed a unique production system—"Global Fluid Just-in-Time"which absorbed the essence of Toyota Production System based on the punctual transnational transportation of CER Express.(3)The differences between the current and the original production systems of TCL Poland Plant are mainly focused on the following aspects:the difference of transport and storage mode of raw materials,and the changes of production line,production mode and quality inspection organization,etc.

Can Trade Facilitation Prevent the Formation of Zombie Firms?Evidence from the China Railway Express

Using data on firms listed on Chinese A-share markets from 2009 to 2017,this paperapplies the difference-in-difference model to test the effect of trade facilitation onpreventing the formation of zombie firms.We find that the China Railway Express(CRE)significantly prevented the formation of such firms.Mechanism tests show:(i)the CRE has accelerated the speed of sales,which increased the overseas salesrevenue of firms;(ii)the economies of scale and the capital accumulation effectcaused by the CRE can help increase firms'solvency and development ability.Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the effect of the CRE on preventing theformation of zombie firms is mainly reflected in non-state-owned firms,firms inhighly competitive industries,and firms in the eastern region of China.We suggestthat China should continue to promote trade facilitation by expanding the CRE andstrengthening the market's dominant role in preventing the formation of zombie firms.Disadvantaged firms should seize the development opportunities brought by the CRE.

Bayesian network-based risk evaluation model for the operational requirements of the China Railway Express under the Belt and Road initiative

The operation of the China Railway Express features numerous links across several regions and countries. Effectively controlling therisks involved in the operation of the China Railway Express is crucial for ensuring safety and efficiency and promoting the sustainabledevelopment of the China Railway Express. The Bayesian network-based risk-management model was built corresponding to theactual operation of the China Railway Express;the model used an advanced risk-management theory. The sensitivity analysis of riskfactors and Bayesian network inference were realized using the expectation-maximization and clique-tree propagation algorithms.Using the risk-checklistmethod, 17 risk-related factors were analysed on 17 nodes of the Bayesian network fromthree perspectives—safety, efficiency and effectiveness—based on expert opinions and the actual operating conditions of the China Railway Express.Data from a sensitivity analysis and evidence inference of the Bayesian network model indicated that the sensitivity coefficients ofnodes N01, N04, N07, N08 and N17 of the network were high. Moreover, the risk-occurrence probabilities for nodes N01, N04, N06,N07 and N09 were higher in the case of reverse inference. Our results revealed the crucial factors influencing the risk. The identifiedrisk factors included the stability of the political environment in countries along the route, conditions of station infrastructures andthe complexity of the process of changing rails and reloading. Further, risk-management suggestions were provided. By establishinga sound risk-management framework, reliable assessment and management could be realized in accordance with changes in theoperating conditions of the China Railway Express.

Connecting the Belt and Road through sea-rail collaboration

As part of China's "the Belt and Road"strategy, China Railway Express provides alternative shipping routes and transportation modes from Asia to Europe and creates new opportunities for intermodal transportation in the shipping industry. A time–distancebased cost(time cost) function was proposed to compare China Railway Express with traditional transportation modes. Time cost was related to different types of cargoes,which exhibit distinct sensitivity to time. Using the proposed cost function as basis, we identified the cost indifference area where total costs are equal. Further analysis was performed for selecting the transportation mode and supply area for a specific cargo. This study provides various parties, such as business owners, the government, and the shipping industry, with many valuable insights.